Episode Summary

This is a raw, unfiltered conversation recorded outside after almost not happening at all.

Claire and Ant talk honestly about what it actually feels like to be in the middle of building a business while raising a family, carrying responsibility on all fronts, and trying to hold everything together.

They share the tension of knowing they should be working on the business while being pulled into delivery, logistics, and day-to-day demands. They speak openly about guilt, about the pressure of being needed at work and at home, and about how easy it is to stay stuck at the desk even when it is no longer producing clear thinking.

This episode captures the reality that rarely gets spoken about. Not the highlight reel of business ownership, but the messy middle where nothing is broken, yet everything feels stretched.

It also explores what shifted when they stepped outside, and why environment, energy, and perspective play a far bigger role in decision-making than most leaders realise.

Who This Episode Is For

This will resonate if you are a founder or leader who:

• Feels pulled between business and family, and not fully present in either
• Knows you should be working on the business but cannot seem to get there
• Is carrying a constant mental load of decisions, messages, and responsibility
• Feels guilty, stretched, or disconnected

Key Moments

00:05 — Setting the scene
Recording outside after resistance to leaving the desk and stepping away from work.

01:17 — The messy middle defined
The reality of being stuck in the business while knowing you should be working on it.

02:00 — “It’s nuts”
Building the business, delivering, and raising three children at the same time.

03:10 — Family pressure and emotional load
GCSEs, SATs, perimenopause, and the cumulative weight of life alongside business.

04:00 — Triggers and guilt at home
The reality of parenting while working flat out, and the emotional reactions that come with it.

06:00 — Holidays, time, and pressure
The tension between creating family experiences and the constraints of running a business.

09:30 — Why this conversation matters
Normalising the messy middle and the importance of stepping out for perspective.

11:00 — What it feels like at the desk
Isolation, overwhelm, negative news cycles, and the sense of “why isn’t this working yet?”

14:00 — Resistance to stepping away
The internal negotiation before leaving the desk, even when you know you need to.

15:00 — Immediate shift outside
Perspective, conversation, and thinking beginning to clear within minutes.

16:00 — The limits of productivity
Why sustained output without space leads to burnout rather than clarity.

17:00 — The real lever: energy and focus
Where you place your time, talent, and energy is what actually drives the business.

17:40 — The uncomfortable truth of leadership
One clear idea can outweigh a week of graft, but many leaders struggle to own that.

What This Episode Leaves You With

A clearer understanding that the challenge is not simply time or workload.

It is where your energy is going, and whether the conditions you are operating in are allowing you to think properly.

Next Steps

If this feels familiar and you would value stepping out of your usual environment to think alongside other like-minded business leaders, you can explore upcoming experiences on the WildEdge events page.